This invention relates generally to semiconductor structures.
A complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) device is generally a delicate electronic structure formed by a combination of lithographic and etching techniques that allow the device to be formed and exist in a microscopically clean, contamination free environment with precisely controlled physical properties to ensure reliable and efficient high speed operation. As a result, there is a need to control the dielectric constant of materials used to separate the electronic components and interconnections within the device.
To this end, an interlayer dielectric (ILD) material is deposited around the structures (transistors, passives, etc.) and between the layers of interconnections that make up the CMOS device for the purpose of establishing a dielectric constant. The dielectric constant affects the speed with which signals may propagate through the interconnection of the device.
While many dielectric materials have been studied, for the lowest dielectric constants, increasing amounts of void space and hence air have been incorporated within ILD materials. Indeed, true air gaps have been engineered into the devices directly to optimize the lowest effective dielectric constants. Air gap structures may be formed and encapsulated to protect such structures from the deleterious effects of environmental contamination.
Similarly, in a variety of other circumstances, it may be desirable to form air gap structures in various microelectronic, micromechanical, microbiological, and microoptical systems, as well as, microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device.
Thus, there is a need to make airgaps in semiconductor structures.